The Government is being urged to extend sick pay eligibility to self-employed people, after Freedom of Information (FOI) requests revealed that more than half of applications for Test and Trace Support Payment made by freelance workers were rejected.
Despite the research by the Community Trade Union showing that 21 per cent of all applications for the £500 Test and Trace Support Payments were made by self-employed people, 57 per cent of requests from the self-employed were rejected.
With self-employed workers in the UK not eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), these rejections meant that many had to turn to their own savings or take on loans, while the number of freelancers claiming support through Universal Credit increased by 270 per cent between March 2020 and October 2021.
According to the research, workers in their first year of self-employment were more likely to have their applications rejected.
Kate Rearden, Head of Research at The Community Union, commented: “Our findings are incredibly concerning, and makes the conclusive case to extend sick pay to all. Our communities’ resilience depends on the support given to individuals in times of need. That’s why we calling for sick pay for the self-employed.”
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said that the government “has failed throughout the pandemic to fix sick pay” and that this was “hurting working people”. Rayner added that a Labour government would immediately extend SPP to all workers.
In response, a Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson claimed the Government had provided “an unprecedented package of support to help those self-isolating”.
The spokesperson added: “Self-employed workers who are ill and unable to work should check their eligibility for Employment Support Allowance, and during the pandemic self-isolating workers were entitled to payment from day one, on top of billions of support through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.”
